Changes in Profession
by Girl Supersonicboy
Summary: No matter how much you try, no matter how much time passes, old nightmares will always come back to haunt you. And Sniper... one such nightmare brings him to his knees. How can he live with himself after having to do something so horrible? He can't, but he moves on with his life; trying to forget that day... Trying to forget her and how he left her there all alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Well hello hello!**

**This story came to me one day and I had to write it out as it would not leave me alone.**

**Not sure if I will write more chptrs for it,  
>But things may change.<strong>

**So enough of my chatter.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Changes in Profession <strong>

This possibly couldn't be it. This could not be where he was meant to be. The directions he was given were supposed to take him to a deadly killer's doorstep, not what he was seeing now.

Looking down at the piece of parchment in his hand he doubled checked to make sure if he hadn't misread it or maybe took a wrong turn, but no, this was where he was intended to be. Before him stood a small house, a light cream color, with a nice sized front lawn that had a white picket fence and a garden filled with red roses. There were two windows on the front of the house with frilly curtains and sitting in one of them was an orange cat sleeping in the afternoon sun.

Again he found himself staring down at the letter he had. He was newer to his profession then other but he knew that when you were paid to kill a dangerous creature the first place you would not look was a house that looked so… feminine.

Now, Lawrence himself couldn't judge someone on how they lived, since he himself lived in a mangled old van, but from what the letter he had gotten in the mail his idea on his target was more dark, sinister, and dirty; not pristine, homey, and spotless.

It began about half a month ago. He had received a letter in the mail, it was sent to his parents' house and he was thankful they did not open it, with no return address or sender on it. The envelope was like any other but Lawrence could smell the hefty smell of cigarette smoke on it as he opened it. The letter began with it addressing him.

_'Dear Mr. Mundy,_

_You do not know me or anyone who works for me but I am writing this letter to offer you a job. Yes, I know what your job is and I know just how well you are at it. So to cut this short, I am in need of someone who is very dangerous… eliminated. This person is a threat to me personally as well as many others who should cross this person's path._

_Be for warned Mr. Mundy, this person is not to be taken lightly as they are just as dangerous as you are, if not more so. Incorporated with this letter is five thousand dollars, an incentive, and when the job is done much more money will be sent to you. Along with the money are directions to where the last whereabouts of your objective was last seen. Do not disappoint me Mr. Mundy, I am not a forgiving person… Especially when I pay in advance._

_-A.H'_

And sure enough, with the letter was that said five thousand along with the parchment that gave directions to where his latest victim was last seen. The parchment also gave a name, the name of who he was paid to kill. A person by the name of Jud Millhouse.

Lawrence felt a bit sorry for the bloke, not much though, as he didn't even know who he was or what he looked like as there was no picture given. He always tried to be polite with his victims, having a picture of who this person was and a bit more background was something he would have liked but the money pushed that away.

So after he packed his things and bought a ticket to the states, Lawrence found himself on a wild goose chase trying to find this Jud Millhouse. It took him better half of the month of being in the states when he finally got wind of Jud.

Jud had settled himself into a small quaint town, one that wasn't even on a bloody map as it was so small. But Lawrence finally found the place. Parking his van on the outskirts of the town, Lawrence decided to take a walk through the settlement and if he was lucky he may just run into this Jud fellow.

Leaving his large weapons in his van, Lawrence packed only his Kukri and a Colt Python he rarely used but for something like this you can never be too sure. Once positive no one would be messing with his van, Lawrence made his way into the town.

It wasn't a busy place, a fair amount of people walking around and a couple of cars driving by and a few shops here and there. Lawrence was more an outdoorsman and preferred the outback but if he had to live anywhere else this kind of town wasn't too bad. As he walked along the sidewalk, Lawrence stopped for a moment to watch a group of kids across the street.

They were playing in a park and shouting happily, well almost all of them. One little kid sat under a tree with a group of older children laughing and pointing fingers. Lawrence couldn't make out what they were saying but whatever was being said it was making the small child cry.

Not one to like bullies himself, as he was bullied at that age, Lawrence found himself on autopilot as he made his way across the street. As he got closer the children's' conversation became audible and it only made him walk faster.

"You're a freak!" one boy shouted as he pointed his finger.

"My daddy said you are so strange I have to stay away or it could rub off on me!" A girl in a dress said as she stayed far away.

"Weirdo!" one child shouted and soon the whole group began to sing it out.

Finally reaching the children, Lawrence walked in front of the child trying to hide under the tree and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the bloody hell are you ankle biters doing?!"

At first the group was startled at seeing the new man but it quickly died down as they all began to glare up at him. "This freak wanted to play in our park." A boy spoke up. "And out parents told us to stay away from her."

"That doesn't give ya the right to harass her. What did she ever do to you?" Lawrence asked as he took a step closer to the kids, which made them take a step back. "And if yer parents told ya to stay away from her why are all ya teasing her?"

For a moment none of the kids responded. They shared glances with one another; almost daring someone to speak up. When finally a girl taller than the rest stepped forward. She had long blonde locks that were tide into two braids and she was wearing a long blue dress.

"You're not our boss. We can do what we want. So get out of the way Mister."

Finally having enough of these kids' smart mouths, Lawrence pulled out his Kukri and brandished before the little pests. "Yer right, I ain't yer boss… but I am the one with the very sharp knife."

At seeing the blade, the children let out a high pitched scream and all of them scrambled to get away from the terrifying man; in the process they knocked over the girl with braids and she fell in a mud puddle. As the last bit of the group disappeared into the town, Lawrence sheathed his blade and turned to look behind him.

Still under the tree was the little child, huddled up into a tight ball. Bending down on his knees, Lawrence moved some of the girl's black locks away from her face. "Their gone, no reason to be afraid now."

Watching as the girl lifted her head up, Lawrence could see the tears running down her cheeks but what caught his attention was the color of her eyes. Unlike most people, whose eye colors were the same, this little girl had two different colors. Her left eye was a smoky blue while her right eye was a warm chestnut color.

"I'm always afraid. Their gone now but… they'll be back." The girl said as she just sat there, looking up at the peculiar man before her.

Lawrence, noticing that he was staring, shook his head and held his hand out to the girl. Looking at the appendage before her, the girl slowly reached out and took it. Helping her to her feet Lawrence watched as the girl began to brush the dirt off her overalls and her red sleeves. If Lawrence didn't know better he would have thought this girl was a little boy by the way she dressed.

"Why don't ya stand up to them?" Lawrence asked. "All those bullies have is words, ya look like ya could teach them a lesson or two."

"Mommy tells me that I shouldn't stoop to their level." The girl said as she pushed her hair out of her face. "She says that fighting is wrong."

Nodding his head, Lawrence rubbed his chin in thought. He could remember his own mother telling him the exact same thing. 'You're a good boy, Lawrence.' She would say, 'Don't allow yourself to fall to the level of them bullies.' But then the words of his father would come to mind.

'Show them whose boss boy. Don't hold back, throw a few punches and they'll leave ya alone.'

Though he hated it he had taken his father's advice and gotten into a few scrapes with a bully here and there. And in the end he always came running home to his mother with either a busted lip or cuts and bruises. Lawrence wasn't much a hand to hand fighter; he was better off staying in the distance with his sniper rifle and taking care of his enemies that way.

"Yer mom sounds like a good hearted sheila." Lawrence said as he squatted down so he was at eye level with the girl. "How about this, instead of taking their harassment and doing nothing… ya scare them?"

Looking at the man with a confused look, the girl cocked her head to the side. "Scare them?"

"Yup, like I just did. I wasn't really going to hurt them but my blade did make them go running didn't it?" Lawrence asked the girl and she gave him a slow nod. "Then ya need to just do the same. Find something that will scare them enough to leave ya alone."

Still nodding, the girl's blank expression finally turned around as she gave Lawrence a smile. Before the man could say anything else he found himself being enveloped into a hug from the child. With her hands wrapped around his neck Lawrence had to tip over a bit so she wasn't dangling off him.

"Thanks mister." The girl said as she finally let go. As Lawrence stared down at her, he found himself smiling at how her mismatched eyes sparkled.

"Call me Lawrence." He said as he patted the girl's head and gave her dark locks a ruffle.

"Kim." The girl said as she let a childish giggle escape her. "Thanks again Mr. Lawrence." And with that she raced off down the street with her long hair flying behind her.

Standing back to his full height, Lawrence smiled as he pocketed his hands. Nice kid, he thought to himself, why she gets bullied is a mystery. Turning to walk in the opposite direction, Lawrence found himself still smiling as he made his way to where he needed to be.

He still had a job to do he did.

.-.-.-.

Lawrence couldn't help but just stare at the house. It was placed so far away from the town, evident as he had to walk up a long dirt road for what seemed like forever, and it had no neighbors in sight. Aside from how the house itself looked Lawrence had to agree that this did fit perfectly for where a wanted man would hide.

Taking a step closer to the fence, Lawrence spotted a mailbox with the name 'J.D' painted on it but the last name had been scratched off. Just another piece of evidence that Jud lived here, thought Lawrence. He was so busy studying the house that Lawrence didn't hear the soft sound of footsteps coming up behind him.

"Looking for something?"

Jumping in shock, Lawrence turned around to see a woman standing behind him. She was about a few inches shorter then he was and she had salt and pepper hair though she didn't look to be more then 25. She was dressed in a nice Sunday dress that was a spotless white with a red sash tied around her waist.

"Pardon me ma'am," Lawrence said as he removed his hat. "I am… just looking for someone."

"Well from the looks of it it's not me." The woman said as she walked up to Lawrence, her arms held behind her. "Care to tell me who you're looking for? Maybe I can help."

Feeling the letter in his free hand, Lawrence quickly pocketed it. "I think I have the right address, is the man of the house home?"

The woman gave off a small giggle as she pressed a hand to her mouth. For a moment nothing was said but the giggles from the woman; only confusing Lawrence more. Once the woman had finished laughing, she gave the man before her a sweet smile.

"No man lives here I'm afraid." She said as she began to walk past Lawrence. "Just me."

Confused more than ever, Lawrence spun around to find the woman walking up to the white door. This was the address where Jud lived, he was sure of it, so either this sheila was hiding him here or something was up.

"Well… I guess I am lost than." Lawrence said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Why don't you come in? I can make a pot of tea or coffee and maybe I can help get you unlost." The woman said as she opened the door and stepped inside.

A bit surprised by the offer, Lawrence shrugged his shoulders and began to walk towards the house. Maybe he did get the wrong house or something. Once he made it inside, the woman shut the door and gave Lawrence a sweet smile.

"Coffee, please. Decaf if you got it." Lawrence said as he was about to put his hat back on his head but was stopped when the woman snatched it from him.

"No hats on in the house." She said as she placed it on a coat rack. "And I only drink decaf."

A bit dazed at how fast this woman was, Lawrence found himself following her to the kitchen but at the same time he was studying the house. In his mind he was kind of surprised that his grandma didn't live in this house. The whole place was littered with small knickknacks and doilies, fine china placed on shelves, and porcelain dolls of all sizes sat on the couch and chairs that had a very floral pattern.

Once in the kitchen, Lawrence found some relief as the room was a plain white area and not a doll in sight; those things gave him the heebie-jeebies. There was a table in the middle of the room, a stove, a fridge, on the countertop were jars filled with spices and powders, and a window with the orange cat still sleeping.

"So who exactly are you looking for Mister… forgive me but I forgot to ask your name." the woman asked as she began to make the coffee.

"Lawrence, ma'am. Mr. Mundy is my dad." Lawrence said as he took a seat at the table and soon the woman came to join him with a plate of cookies in hand.

"Well, Lawrence, the coffee will take a minute. So while we wait, how about you tell me who you're looking for?" the woman asked as she took a cookie and bit into it.

Taking a cookie himself, a chocolate chip, Lawrence bit it in half and chewed on it slowly. While he chewed he thought of what to say. If he gave away too much information it could compromise things. Swallowing the cookie, Lawrence shrugged.

"A man. Don't know what he looks like but I got a name." Lawrence said as he shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth.

"Well, what's his name? I don't get along with the people in this town but I know everyone here." The woman said as she nibbled on her cookie.

"A sheila like ya, not getting along with anyone, that's kind of hard to swallow." Lawrence said with a smile. He wouldn't say it aloud but the woman before him was a nice looking sheila. She had that soft looking skin that just made you want to touch it, her face was just as perfect as her naturally rosy cheeks rose just right when she smiled, and her light brown eyes sparkled just right when the light hit them.

"Well thank you. But the people of this town and I share different opinions on things which makes us argue back and forth." The woman said as she set her cookie down. "And to think I grew up here. So much has changed in my absence."

"Been away have ya?" Lawrence asked as he reached for another cookie.

"I have. Been back for a few years but I guess time does change people." The woman said as she gave a halfhearted smile. She was about to say something else but was interrupted when the coffee began to make a gurgling noise; signaling it was finished.

Getting up out of her seat, the woman pulled out two mugs from a cabinet and poured the two of them a glass of the hot beverage. Carrying the two mugs back over to the table, the woman set one down in front of Lawrence and one before her as she sat back down.

"You still haven't told me who you are looking for." The woman asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Again, it's only a name but it's all I got on the bloke." Lawrence said as he gripped the mug's handle tightly.

"A name can mean hundreds of things, Lawrence." The woman said as she set her cup down with a smile.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lawrence brought the cup up to his lips. "His name is Jud. Ever heard of him?"

The instant the name was said, the woman's happy demeanor melted and replaced with a forlorn look. Her hands still on her drink, her eyes soon found the dark liquid more interesting than the man before her. The light in her eyes almost immediately drained away and her body slumped in the chair she was in.

"I… have heard that name." the woman said and it made Lawrence smile.

"So you know him?" he asked as he was about to take another sip of his coffee.

"I do… but Jud is not a man." The woman said and it made Lawrence stop midair bringing the cup to his mouth. Looking at the woman before him in shock, Lawrence had to make sure he had heard her correctly.

"Wassat?"

"I said that Jud is not a man… Jud is a woman." The distraught lady said as she finally looked up at Lawrence; the look in her eyes full of pain and regret. "And you have already met her."

By this time Lawrence became confused. He hadn't spoken to anyone in town aside from the children, and he doubt that he was sent here to murder them; he was against the idea if it was that. Thinking, it finally dawned on Lawrence. Looking to the woman who sat across from him Lawrence's expression twisted into shock.

"Judith." The woman said as she rubbed her hands on her mug. "I always hated my name; preferred people to call me Jud."

Lawrence couldn't say anything; it was as if he lost his voice. His eyes stayed glued to the woman across from him, hoping that this was some kind of dream and he was still in his van resting his eyes. But the longer Lawrence found himself staring he found that this was no dream; it was all too real.

"I have a guess as to why you are here Lawrence, but I have to ask… Are you here to kill me?" the woman, Jud, Judith, asked as she looked at Lawrence with darkened eyes.

He didn't respond. Lawrence didn't want to. All this time he had thought he was after a dangerous man, a male, but here he sat with his target who most certainly was not a man.

"I see… figures they come after me after all this time." Judith said as she ran a hand through her graying hair. "Do you know who ordered my… end?"

"… afraid not." Lawrence said finally, his voice coming out a bit dry. "I only got a letter in the mail, some money too. But they never addressed themselves other than 'A.H'."

Nodding her head, Judith gave a weak smile. "Figures they make the first move… Would it be alright if I explain myself Lawrence? I want someone to know why I am wanted dead."

Lawrence couldn't have said no if he wanted. Not just because he wanted to be polite in his profession but he felt like the sheila deserved a dying wish. Nodding his head Lawrence took another sip of his cool coffee. Trying her best to smile Judith nodded back.

"I used to work as an agent for a company years back; trained to be both lethal and shadowy so I could obtain rival companies' secrets. I was the best of the best, I was the only agent in the company who never got caught… except once." Judith explained and all the while Lawrence listened closely.

"I was on a mission to infiltrate another big time company when it happened. I thought it would be a simple walk in, obtain some files, and walk out but it wasn't that easy. As I managed to slip into the office of the CEO of the company I started grabbing the needed files when the door was blocked off by a metal slab.

"I began to panic, knowing that if I didn't act fast I was more than likely dead but what happened next surprised me." Judith paused for a moment, looking out the window to find the sky darkening quickly; a storm was coming in fast.

"What happened?" Lawrence asked.

"I was offered another job." Judith spoke again. "A man walked in once the door was unlocked and he just smiled at me, and it wasn't the welcoming kind either. He said he knew I was and that he was impressed by my work. So impressed that he wanted me to work for him as a double agent; working for him while I still worked at my present company.

"But there was a catch. I had to steal secrets from my company and hand them over to him. At first I refused but when he started talking about how much he would pay me… Let's just say that with it combined with my normal salary I was getting, I would be set for life."

Lawrence nodded. Money could do that to a person, make the most loyal dog turn against its master without even batting an eye. Lawrence himself had done this before when some sad wanker paid him more to go kill the one who had sent him to kill said wanker. Money was the ultimate evil in this world, and no man was not subjugated by its appeal.

"So… I reckon you took the job?" Lawrence asked.

Nodding her head, Judith let out a deep sigh. "I look back sometimes and tell myself how stupid I was for taking the offer; saying it was greed that made me do it. But I guess it doesn't matter now does it? What happened cannot be changed."

Again Lawrence nodded. He knew Judith was only prolonging the inevitable but he felt that the woman's dying wish needed to be met. So, he continued to listen.

"I went about my days like normal; working for my 'day' company while behind their backs I worked for my 'night' one. This went on for about a year and a half, me stealing secrets and giving them away, until I finally was called up to the boss.

"My boss was the one who sent you the letter, A.H, and they weren't happy about what I was doing. They said since I had betrayed the company I was to be put to death, but… I had other plans. I managed to get away and run back to the other company; hoping for protection. But I didn't get that. The man there shouted at me about how no good I was to him now that I couldn't give him what I wanted.

"He said he would kill me if he saw me again so I took it that I should go and never come back. After that I went into hiding for a couple years till I thought I was safe and they had all forgotten me. Came home, thought I could start a life here… looks like that won't ever happen will it Lawrence?"

Lawrence didn't like this, not one thing about this tasted right. He was a professional and he did things proper; this was not proper. This woman, Judith, wanted nothing more than to be left alone and live out her life in peace. Yes, she had gotten mixed up with some big people, but that didn't mean she deserved to die.

Lawrence had half a mind to just get up and walk away from all of this. Tell Judith to go back into hiding and never stop running, but then he remembered what the letter had said.

Do not disappoint me Mr. Mundy, I am not a forgiving person… Especially when I pay in advance.

He had already spent most of the money on things he needed, including the ticket to America, and he knew that there were a set of rules when in a profession like his. And one such rule was that when paid upfront… you had to finish the job.

"I don't blame you Lawrence, you're only doing what you are paid to do." Judith said as she reached over the table and gripped his hand tightly. "Everyone has to make a living somehow."

"Doesn't mean it's always right." Lawrence said as he found himself clutching onto Judith's hand, feeling how her soft skin trembled.

"Just let me settle a few things first and then you can finish what needs to be done." Judith said as she stood up and walked over to the counter. Picking up a pen and paper, Judith began to write down something on it. While she did this, Lawrence found himself pulling out his Colt Python.

Staring at the weapon Lawrence was trying very hard to not toss it out the window and just forget this whole day ever happened. Checking to see if there were bullets in the weapon Lawrence frowned at finding one; only need one to finish a job properly.

Looking back at the woman, Lawrence found that she had finished her note and held it firmly in her hand. "I'm… ready."

Standing up, Lawrence watched as Judith walked over to him and stood very close. Her eyes were to him the whole time, trying to put on a brave exterior but her body failed her as she began to shake. Finding himself placing his open hand on her shoulder Lawrence felt Judith stiffen at his touch.

"I'm sorry… if I could fix this I would."

Smiling up at the man, Judith slowly began to cry. "Somehow I know you would if given the chance."

For a moment the two just stood there, mere inches apart, without saying or doing anything. The silence was so strong that Lawrence could hear both the sound of his heart racing while the thunder from outside crackled loudly. Looking down at his gun, Lawrence could see that he was shaking.

"Please, Lawrence…" Judith said as she grabbed Lawrence's hand and the gun and pointed it at her heart. "Be done with it."

"You take it so well," Lawrence said in a quivering voice. "Why?"

"… I have come to an understanding about my life, Lawrence. I no longer fear death as I know I cannot escape it. So I welcome it, though I may not want it." Judith said as she released her hold on the gun but it stayed where it was.

Another second rolled by and Lawrence could feel the gun shaking in his hand. He didn't want to do this. His mind told him it was his job, but… his heart told him it was wrong.

Just as he was about to pull the gun away a bolt of lightning struck outside and with it a loud bang.

At first Lawrence was startled by the force of nature but soon his fright fell upon what lay before him. Lying on the floor, still as a board while her precious blood stained the white tile floor, was Judith. Her eyes closed and a somewhat surprising peaceful expression on her face as a pool of her own blood began to form around her.

Taking a step back, Lawrence let out a shocked gasp at what he had just done. So surprised by the lightning he had been that he had pulled the trigger without even knowing it.

Lawrence could do nothing but watch as Judith's white dress began to soak up the red liquid; the bullet hole allowing such valuable life seep out of her body. Turning away, Lawrence tried to keep his composure but found it useless as bitter tears began to fall from his eyes.

He had never killed a woman before and his first would never settle right with him. Judith, only having met him for a short while, had left a mark on the sundried bushman that would last a life time.

Just as he was about to walk away Lawrence stopped when the sound of a door being slammed shut came from behind him. Turning around quickly, Lawrence could hear the sound of scampering feet coming his way and before he could dash out the front door he found himself staring at who came out the presumed back.

"Mister Lawrence? What are you doing-Mommy!"

Lawrence stalled as he watched the smaller figure rush over to the still body of Judith. His breath caught in his throat as the small child kneeled down in the blood of what he guessed was her mother; the mother he had just killed. Watching as those mismatched eyes looked up at him with fear, Lawrence finally allowed himself to let out a terrified cry as his tears became uncontrollable.

"What's wrong with Mommy, Mister Lawrence?! Why won't she get up?" Kim asked as she shook her mother roughly. "Mommy! Wake up, wake up Mommy!"

He couldn't take it, not a second more. Storming out of the house, Lawrence grabbed his hat and did his best to ignore the child in the house screaming at him to come back and help her dead mommy. Stepping outside Lawrence found that the weather had changed from a nice sunny day to a heavy rain storm with thunder and lightning battling it out.

Not stopping for even a second, Lawrence ran as fast as his thin legs would take him; wanting to get as far away from the house as possible. Running down the dirt road proved to be a bad idea as it was now mud and he quickly fell to the ground. Panting like he was running a marathon, Lawrence looked down at his clothes.

Mixed in with the water and mud was visible blood splatter.

Quickly getting back up, Lawrence didn't stop as he ran through the town and got to his van. Opening and slamming the door shut to his camper, Lawrence fell to his knees and began to scream bloody murder.

He… he had just killed a little girl's mother. What made it even worse is that he knew the little girl's name. Not only had he killed Jud, his target who turned out to be a woman, but he had also killed Judith, the mother of a girl named Kim.

Taking a moment to stop his screaming, Lawrence began to tear off his clothes. Judith's blood was still on him and he wanted every last bit of this horrible nightmare gone. Once all of his clothing that had any speckle of blood on them was off him, Lawrence rummaged through his closet and found a paper bag. Stuffing the clothes and the gun into the bag, Lawrence quickly redressed himself before stepping out of the camper.

Quickly getting into the driver's side of the van, Lawrence drove out of that town and never looked back. As he drove he found himself trying to catch his breath but he was never able to for some time. When he finally did he found himself miles away from the town… and from that nightmare.

Pulling over to the side of the road, Lawrence jumped out of the vehicle and rushed back into the camper. Locating his shovel, Lawrence grabbed the paper bag and began to walk out into the nearby woods. Once he was certain he was far enough in he began to dig a hole. As soon as the hole was deep enough in his opinion Lawrence dropped the bag into it and buried it.

After the deed was done, Lawrence slowly made his way back to his van. His mind blank to anything else but the thought of just driving and never going back to that town. As he made his way back, Lawrence tried not to think about what he had just done but the face of that little girl was burned into his skull.

The look of fear in her eyes while she screamed at him to help her mommy. How she didn't care or notice that she sat in her mommy's blood. Her voice ringed in his ears over and over again and no matter how much he tried Lawrence would never forget it.

Finally reaching his van, Lawrence chucked the shovel into the back before going around to the driver's side. Sitting there with his hands on the steering wheel, Lawrence let out a deep and tiring sigh. Turning the key, the van gave off a sputter before coming to life and quietly drove down the road.

Lawrence would try again and again in the future to forget this day but some nights, when the weather was raining madly and thunder rumbled and lightening flashed, he found himself reliving this day over again in his dreams. And they would all end the same way.

With that little girl looking up at him and scream for him to help her mommy. But he never would and he would always wake up from those dreams in a cold sweat.

He would make changes to his profession after this day as well.

No matter how much money he was offered, Lawrence would not take a job unless he was given all information about his target. He needed name, age, even eye color; no little detail was left out. He did this in hopes of never signing onto a deal that would leave him regretting.

He did not want to leave another child an orphan.

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><p><strong>Well...<br>What do you guess think.  
><strong>

**review, fav, follow?**

**:)**


	2. Chapter 2: A Rose By Any Other Name

**Well, I decided to write a few more chptrs.**

**Though I promised one of my followers I update on a different story  
>I had this one already written so it gets update first.<strong>

**Not as long as I would like but I think this is a good place to put it for now.**

**Enough of me now,  
>ON WITH THE STORY!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Thanks for standing still." Lawrence said to himself as the enemy Scout fell to the ground. "Ya twitchy hooligan."<p>

Over the years Lawrence had found himself working for a company named Reliable Excavation Demolition, or RED for short, doing the one thing he loved most; shooting people and getting paid for it. His parents weren't too thrilled to hear this but it was his life and as quick as he could he was on a plane to the states.

He was given the class Sniper, what else would he be, and from day one he felt like he had found his place in the world. It didn't matter to him that more than half his team was dumber than a box of rocks, Lawrence just ignored them as best he could and went on shooting them damned BLUs.

Today was an exceptionally good day as Lawrence, or since joining RED he had been going by Sniper, had not missed any BLUs who had come into his scope's eyesight. First to go down was that bloody drunk of a Scotsmen, then that whackjob Pyro, that rocket-hopping simpleton, and now he had just dropped the BLUs Scout with a head shot.

Laughing to himself at how the BLU boy spaz out before he fell, Lawrence took his attention away from the battle below his roost and took a sip of his coffee. Neither side had gained the advantage today, no control points stolen and no team was even close to obtaining the others Intelligence. Today would probably end in a stalemate and then they would get an earful from the announcer.

But nothing could ruin his day. Lawrence was determined to have nothing spoil his good mood, even if it meant shooting one of his teammates in the bum.

Just as he set his drink down the bell for the afternoon break sounded out. Smiling to himself, Lawrence stood up and gave his stiff body a stretch. Only a few more hours of this, Lawrence thought to himself, and then I have the whole weekend to do what I want.

As he made his way back into the RED base Lawrence passed by his comrades who busied themselves by talking about how the day was going. Medic was speaking to Heavy, Scout was annoying Spy, and the Demoman was talking with Engineer while the Pyro followed behind the genius. These blokes could be a bit chaotic and unnerving but they were good at what they did and Lawrence could respect that.

"Hey Strecth!" the scout called to him as he made his way over. "How'd you do out there?"

"Just fine. Got that BLU Scout before the bell sounded." Lawrence answered the boy.

"That BLU is so stupid and lame." Scout said as he kept up with Lawrence's long strides. "He's so annoying too. Whenever I run into him he never shuts up. Good thing we're nothing alike, I know when to shut up. Like right now, I could shut up if I wanted to. Unlike that BLU I know when—"

Slapping his hand over the boy's mouth, Lawrence let out an irritated sigh as he turned to face Scout. "If ya know when to shut up, then why aren't ya?"

Scout's eyes darted all over, thinking about what Sniper had said to him, and nodded his head. Removing his hand from the boy's mouth, Lawrence smiled when Scout remained silent. Turning his back to the boy Lawrence continued on his way into the base. He wanted to fix himself a fresh pot of coffee and since the kitchen area was so small it was first come, first to get your lunch done before the bell rings for restart.

Luckily for Lawrence everyone else was busying themselves by talking so he was first to the kitchen; with Scout surprisingly following quietly behind him. Making his way to the coffee maker, Lawrence had his back to Scout as the boy went over to the fridge.

Scout mumbled something to himself, something about what should he have for lunch, before he pulled out some things and set them on the table. "Hey Sniper, want a sandwich?"

"Sure why not." Lawrence responded as he turned to face Scout while his coffee was being made. Walking over to the table Scout had placed all the food on, Lawrence saw something out of the corner of his eye. "What's that?"

As Scout turned his attention to what Sniper was looking at the boy raised an eyebrow. It was a small long box, a light gray color, with a black ribbon and bow wrapped around it, and it was all alone at its end of the table. Scanning the area, even checking under the table, Scout let out a confused grunt. "Nothing else is with it."

"Well ain't that bloody obvious." Lawrence said as he picked up the box. "The question is what is it doing here?" Pressing the box to his ear Lawrence didn't hear anything ticking so it wasn't a bomb but something was moving around in there.

"What you have there Stretch?" Engineer's voice came up from behind Sniper as well as everyone else from how the continued to talk.

"I and Sniper found a box." Scout answered for the Aussie and that caught everyone's attention. As they all looked at the box in Sniper's hand Medic took it and began to examine it.

"Aside from Herr Scout's bad grammar this is strange." Medic said as he flipped the box onto its back and pulled something from it. "But there is a letter, and it is… addressed to Sniper."

Taking the letter and box back, Lawrence read the small card to himself.

'_Did you miss me Mr. Lawrence? I sure did. Coming over for a visit. See you soon._'

"Who's it from?" Demoman asked as he began to drink on of his foul drinks.

"Perhaps it is from a lady, non? Has the bushman been holding back a Petite Amie from us?" Spy spoke up, hoping to pull some of Sniper's strings and annoy him but he became concerned when he did not get rebuked. Looking over at the lanky Australian, Spy and everyone else saw the terrified look on Sniper's face as he stared down at the card.

"Is skinny man alright?" Heavy asked as he gripped Sniper's shoulder and shook him.

Coming out of his daze from the larger man's manhandling Lawrence let out a shaking sigh. "Y-yeah, I'm alright."

"You don't look alright." Medic said as he stared at the man before him. "You look as you have seen a geist."

"Ah what?" Scout butted in; scratching his head in a confused matter.

"Ghost, häschen. Geist means ghost." Medic sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose.

Turning his attention to the box, Lawrence ignored the little scuffle Medic and Scout were getting into. The letter made him think back to a time where… no, it could be that. He made more than sure he would have no connections back to that, but… no one ever called him Mr. Lawrence aside from…

"Open the package already!" Soldier's voice boomed out. "What danger can come from a little box like that? Unless, unless the box is not American made!"

Ignoring the helmet-head, Lawrence slowly began to pull of the black ribbon. Once off Lawrence's hand shakily went to open the box's lid. While he did, everyone's attention was on him. When he finally did lift it up it was only for a quick second before he slammed the box shut again. Pushing past everyone Lawrence made his way over to Pyro and shoved the box into the maniac's hands.

"Burn it." He ordered in a terrified tone as he quickly turned around and began to make his way to the exit. "Burn it to a crisp!"

"What's in it?" Scout asked as he went over to Pyro and went to open the box. "Can't be that bad."

"I said burn it!" Sniper screamed from the doorframe, but kept his back to everyone. "Don't go looking in it, just… burn it and forget that it was ever here."

As Lawrence left the room everyone turned their attention to the box Pyro now had. What was in it that could make the normally calm man snap like that? Must have been _something_ if he wanted Pyro to burn it without them even seeing it.

"Hudda hm hmd hud?"

"No Pyro," Engineer said as he walked up to the masked being. "Don't burn it; least not yet. Something's up with Sniper and we need to get to the bottom of it."

"Didn't the laddie tell us though not to look?" Demoman asked, his drinking put on hold for the time being.

"I say we open it," Medic said as he took the box from Pyro. "for… 'medical' reasons. Vatever is in here could be dangerous for Herr Sniper's health."

Everyone knew Medic was just giving a stupid reason to look in the box but at this point it was the only reasonable reason they had to go snooping through Sniper's belongings. Nodding their heads, everyone watched as Medic pulled off the box lid. For a moment Medic did nothing but stare at the contents of the box with confusion before he began to reach in to grab what occupied it.

"What's in it?" Scout asked. "Is it a weapon or something?"

"No, it's not. It's a…" Medic began as he pulled out the object from the box and showed everyone. "A rose."

At seeing this everyone became either confused or irritated. They had gotten all worked up over a flower? Better yet, why did Sniper? It was just a little red rose, the thorns left on as well as a single leaf and it was just beginning to bloom as it was partly closed.

Turning the flower in his hand, Medic studied it before placing it back in the box. "Burn it now, Herr Sniper asked that and now that we have filled our curiosity we should keep his wishes."

Taking the box from Medic Pyro set it on the floor and lit his flamethrower. Burning the box quickly, Pyro let out a little laugh as the box became nothing but ashes but his laughter was short lived when screaming came from behind him.

"NOT IN THE HOUSE PYRO!"

.-.-.-.-.

The fighting had started back up and Lawrence found his aim was not as good as it had been in the morning. He had missed about seven head shots and hadn't even dropped one of the BLUs. He would have been pissed off by this but his mind was on something else other than shooting the enemy.

That rose from earlier had spooked him something awful, more than the one time he had accidently stepped on a platypus. Maybe it wasn't the rose itself but the note that came with it sure added to the sniper's anxiety. In his quick getaway Lawrence had forgotten to throw out the note and he had shoved it into his pocket. Now he found himself staring and rereading it over and over again.

_Did you miss me Mr. Lawrence? I sure did. Coming over for a visit. See you soon._

Mr. Lawrence, no one had ever called him that except…

Shaking his head, Lawrence pocketed the letter and looked through the scope of his gun. It was silly, to think that it was _that_ person who sent him the letter, Lawrence had made more than plenty sure that he left no trace of that day that would lead back to him. And even if it was possible, it was years ago and how would anyone remember him. He was only there for one day and he talked to no—

"Hey, you left without making a sandwich."

On reflex alone Lawrence stood up and as quick as a flash he pulled out his kukri but at seeing who it was he let out a relieved sigh. Scout, his scout, was standing there with his bat in one hand and in the other was a wrapped up sandwich. The boy stood there for a moment if shock at Sniper bringing out his weapon but calmed down knowing he did sneak up on him.

"Crikey mate, ya startled me." Lawrence said as he put away the blade.

"Well, aren't you supposed to always be listening? What if I was a spy, I would have back stabbed you I would." Scout said as he jokingly stood like the spy would and acted like he was pulling one of their fancy cigarettes from his mouth.

"Shut up will ya… my mind was on more important things." Lawrence said as he looked down at the sandwich. "Is that for me?"

"Yeah, like I said before you left without making your lunch. So, I thought I make you one. No tomatoes and extra lettuce right?" Scout said as he handed the sandwich over to Sniper.

"Yeah, thanks mate. This was… right nice of ya." Lawrence said as he unwrapped the sandwich while giving Scout a curious look.

"What? I can be nice if I want to. Just know that you now owe me something." Scout said as he sat down on one of the crates in the loft. "So… what was the deal with that flower you got?"

Ignoring the question, Lawrence looked over his meal. Scout had surprisingly made it the way he did like it; even added an olive on top with a toothpick. Sitting down on his own crate Lawrence took a bite out of his sandwich. Scout was giving him a demanding look, obviously wanting an answer, and Lawrence knew he wouldn't leave him alone till he told the boy something.

"It was from… no one in particular." Lawrence said as he took another bite from his meal. "Just someone I crossed paths with years back."

"A girl?" Scout asked. "Cause if it is from a guy I am so leave!"

"Shut ya trap, it was from a sheila alright." Sniper snapped at Scout.

"Okay, no need to bite my head of, jeez. Who was she; someone special?" Scout asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a way that Lawrence knew what he was implying.

"No… she wasn't anything like that. I just… I did something that more than likely ruined her life." Lawrence said as he finished off his sandwich and picked up his gun. "Now get out of here ya twitchy hooligan. We have jobs to do and yers is not to be pestering me."

Letting out an irritated groan, Scout stood up and quickly left Sniper's loft. He didn't get all the answers he wanted but that was all Lawrence was willing to give. If he told anymore it would bring back things he had tried over the years to forget. And he hadn't had a nightmare of that night in a long time.

And he wanted to keep it that way.

* * *

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